REG-RECITE 1 - Regions and cities for Europe, 1989-94

Successor programme

REG-RECITE 2

Programme funding

EUR 48 million

To contribute towards economic and social cohesion by supporting cooperation networks between regions and cities undertaking joint economic projects.

Abstract

The RECITE programme operated within the framework of the priorities established for the period 1989-93 for Article 10 of the European Regional Development Fund Regulation (ERDF) (2052/88 Official Journal No L 185 of 15.7.1988). During this period, Article 10 of the ERDF Regulation provided funding for pilot projects which promoted the pooling of experience and development cooperation between regions of the Community.

This Regulation was amended by Regulation No 2083/93 (Official Journal No L 193 of 31.7.1993.) Under Article 10 of the new Regulation, the ERDF provides support for innovative pilot schemes which are aimed at developing new ways of introducing innovation and technology transfer in the regional agenda through demonstration projects. Details of the Article 10 priority actions to be implemented during the 1995-99 programming period are contained in the CORDIS RTD-Programmes database.

During the period 1989-93, interregional cooperation actions under Article 10 were grouped around three programmes: PACTE (Local authority action programme); OUVERTURE/ECOS (Local and regional cooperation in the European Community and Central and Eastern Europe); and the present programme, RECITE. The RECITE programme sought, in particular, to:

- Encourage the rapid transfer of know-how particularly from more advanced to less-favoured areas of the Community;- Create economies of scale for participants through the implementation of common programmes and working together on specific projects;- Promote the efficiency of the administration of local and regional government, particularly in the Community's less-favoured areas;- Assist the development of Community policies, particularly where they have an impact on regional development.

Actions carried out under the RECITE programme are being continued during the period 1995-99 under the "Interregional cooperation and regional economic innovation programme" established under Article 10 of the ERDF Regulation for this period.

Subdivision

No details are available for this section.

Implementation

The European Commission (DG XVI) was responsible for the implementation of the RECITE programme in accordance with the provisions set out in Council Regulation 2052/93.

Two calls for proposals (1990 and 1991) were launched under the programme which resulted in the allocation of ECU 48 million to finance the establishment of 36 inter-regional cooperation networks. These networks, which comprised of regional or local authorities in at least two Member States, focused on such areas as:

Participation in a network funded under RECITE was open to regional or local authorities in the Community which represented regions or cities with at least 50,000 inhabitants (provisions were included to waive this minimum limit in exceptional cases). Proposals for projects could be made either by a group of regional or local authorities acting together or by an international association representing regional and local authorities at Community level.

Under the programme, Community financial assistance for selected projects was subject to a maximum of 75% of total costs incurred by authorities in Objective 1 regions (below-average development) and 50% of the costs incurred for all other eligible regions. The budget allocated for the implementation of actions within the 36 networks ranged from ECU 300,000 to ECU 2 million per network.